THE PRIMACY OF PREACHING
At Cornerstone OPC we believe that God’s word is central to His worship. And out of all of the word-centered elements of public worship, we believe preaching is the supreme means by which God sanctifies His people and saves the lost. Thus, we place a high priority on the proclamation of the Bible, giving it the central place in every worship service. The church has no greater privilege than to hear God speaking to her through the preached word!
THE SHAPE OF PREACHING
God has given the Bible not only to tell us what we are to preach, but also how we are to preach. The Scriptures reveal essential qualities of faithful preaching, which Cornerstone’s pulpit seeks to emulate by God’s grace.
Expository Preaching
Paul commanded Timothy to “preach the word” (2 Tim. 4:2). True preaching is expositional, drawing its meaning and application from a particular text of Scripture. The preacher’s task is to proclaim God’s word and His word alone.
Authoritative Preaching
To the extent that the preacher faithfully speaks God’s word, it bears God’s authority. He comes as a prophet authoritatively proclaiming, “Thus says the Lord.” To be clear, this does not mean the preacher is to be authoritarian. He is to preach with all humility and lowliness, and yet with power and conviction as an ambassador of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:19–20).
Christ-Centered Preaching
Jesus taught His disciples that the whole Old Testament spoke of Him (Lk. 24:44). The central, overarching theme of the Bible is Jesus Christ in His suffering and glory. Thus, every sermon, even if preached from the obscurest Old Testament text, ought to exalt Jesus Christ and His saving work (1 Cor. 2:2).
Applicatory Preaching
The aim of preaching is not merely to inform the mind, but also to kindle the affections, move the will, and transform the whole of life. A true sermon seeks to apply God’s word to the whole man—head, heart, and hands (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
Evangelistic Preaching
Preaching is the primary means by which God calls sinners to Himself, bringing them to saving faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 10:14-15). Sermons ought to be evangelistic, clearly setting forth man’s sin and woeful condition in Adam and the salvation freely offered by God in His Son.